Patent GB-191018482-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Flying Machines, Aeroplanes, and the like.
Inventor: HAMBLING FRANK WALTER BERTIE
IPC: B64C1/00
Filed: 1910-08-05
Granted: 1911-03-09
Abstract: 18,482. Hambling, F. W. B. Aug. 5. Steering and balancing.-In means for automatically maintaining balance in aeroplanes, illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. VII, the body E is hung near its front end by links G from a point in a lever D, about which the lifting forces acting on planes A, B carried by the lever are normally balanced and is supported at the rear end by a plane F the area of which is adjusted automatically so as to bring more or less of the weight of the body E to bear upon a rod H, which connects the lever D to the body at a point to the rear of the links G. Thus, an increased lift on the front plane A, which would tend to destroy the balance of the lever D and the longitudinal equilibrium of the machine, is counteracted by an automatic increase in the area of the plane F, which decreases the weight acting through the rod H upon the lever D to the rear of its fulcrum G. The adjustments of the area of the plane F may be effected by the upward or downward thrust imparted to the rod H when the equilibrium of the lever D is disturbed, and the effect produced by the adjustment of the plane F may be supplemented by means connected to the upper end of the rod H for automatically adjusting the areas of the planes A, B. In further modifications, the planes A, B, instead of being adjusted in area, may be adjusted as to their distances from the fulcrum G, or as to their curvature or incidence, and a weight sliding on the body E may be used in place of means for adjusting the area of the tail-plane F. In order to obtain automatic lateral balance, the links G are constructed so as to be extensible, and are connected to adjustable portions of the planes B and to means for adjusting the plane F about a central longitudinal axis, in such a manner that the extension of one or other of the links G produced by the greater weight thrown thereon when the machine tilts laterally effects such adjustments of these parts as are requisite for counteracting the tilt. Figs. II and III show one form of the invention. The lever D carries at its front end planes A which may serve as elevators, and is connected at its rear end to main planes B by means of brackets C. The body E is suspended from an intermediate point of the lever D by crossed links G, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. III. The rod H is connected at its upper end U to the bracket or frame of the main planes B, and at its lower end to a bent lever I, which is held in position by a spring and connected by a rod X to a lever L, which controls the area of the tail-plane F. For this purpose, the lever L is connected by a rod R to a ring P, Fig. VI, which slides upon the central stem 10 of the plane F, and is connected by links 11 to ribs 9 of the plane, which are thereby extended or contracted, the ribs 9 being further connected to the stem 10 by telescopic parts e. For lateral balance, adjustable portions 1 of the main planes B are connected to cables 3 which are passed at their inner ends through loops on the links G and then connected to an operating-lever J, Fig. II, which is mounted loosely upon a shaft N. This shaft may be rotated by a second lever K, and is geared to the central stem of the tail-plane F so as to produce an adjustment thereof about a longitudinal axis. Two other levers M, M' are mounted loosely upon the shaft N and geared together so as to move oppositely, and means are provided for locking the levers J, K to the levers M, M' respectively, so that movement of the lever J, caused by a lateral tilt of the machine, produces an opposite movement of the lever K, whereby the tail-plane is rotated oppositely to the tilt of the planes B, as shown in Fig. III. As the tail-plane rotates, its outer portions 12, Fig. VI, are simultaneously moved in opposite directions about the ribs 9 by means connecting these ribs to a cross-piece 15. The cross-piece 15 may be tilted about a pivot S by means of a foot-pedal so as to operate the flaps 12 independently of the rotation of the tailplane. For steering laterally, both of the levers J, K are locked to the lever M so that they move in the same direction, and are operated so as to cant the tail - plane in the direction in which it is desired the main planes should tilt. Aerial machines without aerostats; cars; planes, arrangement of; shock of landing, deadening.-The machine comprises a body E hung by crossed links G from a lever D, which carries at its front end an elevator A, and is connected at its rear end by brackets C to one or more main planes B, the rear end of the body E being supported by a tail-plane F. The chassis may comprise extensions 5, 5' of the parts C, D connected together by a spring 7. In a modification, two main planes B are arranged in tandem, and the lever D is straight and arranged horizontally.